This invention relates generally to telephonic switching networks comprised of a plurality of interconnected telephonic switches and, more particularly, to a call overflow system and method for transferring calls from an originating telephonic switch to a destination telephonic switch, for compiling data relating to the calls at the originating telephonic switch including information supplied by the caller and for transmitting the data to the destination telephonic switch.
Telephonic switches employing a multiport switch controlled by a central processing unit for selectively interconnecting a plurality of interior telephonic units with external telephonic units through an external telephonic network are well known. It is also known to send an external telephonic call received at a telephonic switch to another telephonic switch in a telephonic switch network. An example of such a telephonic switch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,504 issued to Blaha on Nov. 21, 1995 and entitled "Automatic Call Distributor With Intersubnetwork Customer Information Transfer System and Method", the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
In these known systems, an incoming telephone call is made from an external telephonic unit to an originating telephonic switch, such as an automatic call distributor (ACD), through a public telephone network. Once the call is received, the originating telephonic switch logically determines how the call is to be routed. The call is often directed to an agent associated with the originating telephonic switch to service the call. However, in many situations it may be necessary for the call must to be transferred or overflowed to an agent at another telephonic switch in the telephonic switch network. For example, the number of incoming telephone calls to the originating telephonic switch may exceed the call capacity of the originating telephonic switch and thereby require the call to be overflowed to another telephonic switch in the network.
It is known to transfer a call from one ACD to another ACD through the regular public external telephonic network. Such a system is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,841 issued to Adams et al., entitled "Automatic Call Distribution Network With Call Overload System and Method" and issued on Jan. 24, 1995, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The Adams et al. invention increased the amount of information sent with the overflowed call. The additional information could then be advantageously used by the destination ACD, or the agent at the destination ACD. Although the Adams et al. invention is a significant improvement over prior systems, systems which provide even more information to the destination ACD, or destination telephonic switch, are desired in the art.
For example, telephonic switches are increasingly obtaining information from the caller which is subsequently used in handling the call. Typically, a voice response unit (VRU) audibly requests information, such as an identification number, from the caller. Prior systems unfortunately do not transfer information provided by the caller to the destination telephonic switch. Thus, an agent, or VRU, at the destination telephonic switch must again request the information.
Therefore, these known systems are limited by the restricted amount of information transferred to the destination telephonic switch, thereby reducing the amount of routing and application features available in such a telephonic switch network with overflow capability.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a call overflow system and method wherein information provided by the caller is transmitted from an originating telephonic switch to a destination telephonic switch.